Housing Broker

About the Role

Forward Trust’s Private Rented Sector Service supports people with complex needs, including homelessness, offending histories, substance use and poor mental health, to access and sustain safe, secure and stable homes in the private rented sector.

As a Housing Broker, you will play a key role in helping people move towards greater independence by sourcing suitable private rented accommodation and supporting clients throughout their housing journey.

You will build and maintain strong relationships with landlords, letting agents, local authorities and partner agencies, promoting the PRSS wraparound support offer to give landlords confidence in offering tenancies to people who may otherwise face significant barriers to accessing housing.

You will take a person-centred, trauma-informed approach to matching clients with suitable properties, considering their individual needs, risks, affordability and support requirements. You will support clients through the practical aspects of securing a tenancy, including property viewings, documentation, deposits, incentives, moving in and accessing essential furnishings.

Your role will continue beyond placement. Working alongside the wider team, you will provide tailored tenancy sustainment support, helping clients manage rent and bills, understand benefits, resolve housing-related issues and develop the skills and confidence needed to maintain their home and live independently.

You will also work closely with probation, housing, drug and alcohol, mental health and other specialist services to ensure clients receive coordinated, holistic support. You may attend multi-agency meetings and housing panels, advocate for clients and help identify early interventions to prevent tenancy breakdown and homelessness.

This is a varied and rewarding role that combines housing brokerage, relationship management and direct client support, with the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to people facing complex barriers to stable accommodation.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and motivated housing professional who is passionate about helping people overcome barriers to safe and stable accommodation.

You will have experience supporting vulnerable people to access or maintain housing, ideally within the private rented sector, homelessness, supported housing, probation or a related environment. You will have a good understanding of tenancy law, landlord and tenant relationships and the challenges that can affect housing stability.

You will be a confident relationship builder who can develop positive partnerships with both clients and landlords. You will be comfortable negotiating tenancy opportunities, promoting the support available through the service and finding creative solutions to housing challenges.

You will also be confident working independently, managing a mobile caseload and making informed decisions around risk. Excellent communication, organisation, time management and IT skills are essential, alongside the ability to maintain accurate records and work within safeguarding, GDPR, lone-working and health and safety requirements.

We would particularly welcome applications from people with:

• Experience working in a sales or target-driven environment, particularly within housing advice, lettings or related services.
• Ideally you will have a Full UK Driving License and access to your own vehicle
• Experience supporting people affected by homelessness, the criminal justice system, substance misuse or poor mental health.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and trauma-informed approaches.
• An understanding of benefits, budgeting and accessing hardship or emergency funds.
• Experience working collaboratively with multiple agencies and professionals.
• The ability to advocate effectively for clients while maintaining professional boundaries and a strong focus on tenancy sustainment.

Above all, you will be empathetic, resilient, proactive and solutions-focused, with a genuine commitment to helping people build stable lives and achieve greater independence.

If you are passionate about housing and want to use your skills to make a lasting difference to people facing complex challenges, we would love to hear from you.

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits - 

• Flexible working
• Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks' continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you'd like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@forwardtrust.org.uk 
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
  
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme 
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card

25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays 

Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter 

Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary) 

Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.   Diversity at Forward Trust The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around 3 years). This is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.

When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

To find out more about Forward’s commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy click here.  

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

  Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements. Our Commitment to Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.